Sketches on a Love Story
by Eremika
Summary: An Eremika oneshot collection.
1. Variations on a Kiss

_Variations on a Kiss _

I.

_A kiss on the cheek can be used to flirt, to pass a friendly greeting, or to say goodbye to someone you love. _

"Eren, wait!" Her voice called out to him from behind.

He spun around and their eyes locked. Her dirt filled black hair stuck out in all directions. He winced when he noticed the thick red droplets of blood trickling down from her forehead and the tear tracks that stained her porcelain skin.

He watched as she took a couple of hesitant steps toward him, and then, she was running.

He closed his arms around her securely when he felt her body collide with his. He buried his face into her neck as he felt her own arms lock around his neck. In that moment, everything around him became irrelevant. The splitting screams and mangled cries of the battlefield faded to a dull buzz, and the stench of blood and death disappeared with his nose pressed firmly against her scarf. _His _scarf. Even so, it smelled like her. He closed his eyes, and for a second he tried to forget the human limbs and pools of blood that littered the ground around them. With his eyes scrunched shut, he couldn't see the darkened sky or gigantic monsters or the tears spilling from her beautiful charcoal eyes.

"Mikasa," he whispered. He could feel her shaking in his arms. "Hey," He pulled his head back. "Shhh. It's gonna be alright. We're gonna be alright," he promised soothingly. His voice sounded foreign and out of place with his own feelings. Truthfully, he was terrified, but he couldn't let her know that.

He retracted his arms from around her back and reached up to tuck a loose strange of hair behind her ear. "I promise."

"Please, Eren," her voice shook. "Be careful."

He nodded, leaning his forehead against hers and closing his eyes once more. "You too."

"Jaeger!" Levi's voice screamed from the distance. "Get your ass back over here! We need to move!"

The whimper that escaped her lips nearly broke his heart. It was so hard watching Mikasa, who had always been so stoic and strong, become so fragile. For the first time in years, he looked down at her face, twisted with fear and sadness, and saw that broken little girl he had saved all those years ago.

"I have to go," he spoke calmly. He cringed when he felt her soft hand close around his own.

Before he even realized what he was doing, he leaned over and pressed his lips against her cheek. He felt her tense against him at first before relaxing.

He pulled back slightly, his lips ghosting over the soft skin of her cheek.

"I'll be back, Mikasa," he whispered softly.

"Okay," she nodded. Behind those sad, broken eyes, he could see a glint of something else. Hope? Love?

He pulled away, instantly missing her warmth. With one last look, he turned away from her and finally let her hand slip out of his.

He ran, forcing himself not to look back.

He could still feel her gentle touch lingering against his skin.

II.

_A kiss on the forehead is a sign of friendship and deep affection. It's often used as a starter kiss, and it may eventually develop into a deeper relationship. _

His eyes remained fixed on the young girl lying unconscious before him.

She was lying on her back on top of the stiff, uncomfortable mattress. Her raven colored hair was splayed across the off-white pillow, and even though her eyes were closed, he could tell she was in so much pain. He cringed at the way her face twisted with agony. Beads of sweat slid down from her forehead. As he reached down to squeeze her cold, clammy hand, his eyes fell to the blood soaked bandages that covered her arms and waist.

He was sitting in an old wooden chair by the bed next to her. The dim candlelight illuminated her face, and strands of her beautiful black hair blew in the breeze from the open window.

It was late. Everyone else in the cabin had already gone to bed hours ago, but he just couldn't bring himself to leave her all alone.

When she let out a quiet, agonizing whimper, Eren felt something inside him break. The tears that had been pooling in his eyes spilled as he doubled over from a different kind of pain.

"Shhhh," he whispered. He squeezed her hand tighter, stroking his thumb across the soft skin. "You're okay," he felt his voice breaking. "You're gonna be okay, Mikasa."

It was almost as if he was trying to convince himself. Letting out a sigh of exhaustion, he reached up to wipe the tears off his chin.

Mikasa was strong. He knew that she was going to be alright, but it killed him to see her in such a frail, weakened state. She had always been so strong, which had honestly annoyed the hell out of him, but only because he should have been the one protecting her. He had made a promise to his mom after all. Yet, somewhere along the way, he had forgotten that even though she was skilled, stubborn, and strong, she too was not invincible, and he was ashamed that it took almost losing her like this for him to realize that.

He reached up and pressed his hand firmly against her damp forehead. His own hands were warm, preventing him from telling if she still had a fever or not. Gently, he brushed her hair back out of her face and reached for the cloth in the bucket of water next to her bed.

But then, she began to whimper again. Looking down at the broken girl beside him, he let out a choked sob. He felt so helpless. He would do anything to make those noises stop. He wanted to make the hurt fade away. He wanted those beautiful gray eyes to open, and he didn't want to see a trace of pain left in them.

Quietly, he pushed back the hair from her forehead and bent down close to her. He hovered above her for a moment before slowly pressing his lips against her hot, damp forehead, praying that it would help her.

He closed his eyes, keeping his lips pressed firmly against her wet skin. He pulled back slowly, lingering over her for a moment before opening his eyes.

And then, he watched in utter amazement as the muscles in her face relaxed and her soft cries faded to silence.

He let out a sigh of relief, feeling his own face soften into a smile at the sight.

And for a brief second, he could have sworn he felt her hand squeeze back.

III.

_A kiss on the lips serves as an indication of deep love. It is used to show passion, romance, and deep affection between romantic partners. _

It was midnight, and Eren was sitting alone outside of the wooden cabin Squad Levi had been occupying. After a mission, he always liked to come outside to think and clear his head. The peaceful stillness of night helped him forget the roar of the battlefield and the images of mangled body parts scattered across the bloodstained earth.

He sighed, leaning back to get a better look at the sky. It was clear tonight, allowing him to see thousands of stars twinkling like glitter against the dark canvas of night. He closed his eyes and appreciated the feeling of the breeze gently blowing through his hair and the way the grass tickled his skin. After a day filled with death, he reminded himself that this was what it felt like to be alive.

"Mind if I join you, Eren?" He jumped a little at the sudden disturbance but relaxed when he realized whom the voice belonged to.

"Mikasa," his face melted into a soft smile, "I thought you'd be asleep."

The pale white moonlight illuminated her beautiful facial features. Her full pink lips arched slightly upward into a gentle smile. Her charcoal gray eyes shone with amusement, most likely as a result of him being startled, and her shoulder-length strands of ebony hair danced softly in the breeze.

"Nope," she smiled. She plopped down on the ground next to him, pulling the brown jacket she was wearing tighter around her torso. He immediately recognized it as his own, which he had given to her a few weeks prior when the two of them had gone searching for wood together.

"It's a bit chilly out here," she noted.

He nodded in reply, welcoming a comforting silence between the two of them. He studied the way her eyes opened and closed and the way she bit down on her lower lip as if in deep concentration. He memorized the sound of her breathing and the way she gently tucked the strands of lose hair behind her ear. He wondered if she too was realizing that this was what it felt like to be alive.

They weren't kids anymore. The two of them were seventeen years old now. Old enough for him to understand how he felt about her.

He watched as she tilted her head up toward the sky. "Why are you out here anyway?" She asked.

He shrugged. "It's quiet. I just needed to think, I guess."

"About?" She prompted. He could feel her concerned eyes studying his face intently.

"Stuff," he answered vaguely. "You…me…stars," his eyes fell downward. He plucked a single blade of grass from the ground and pinched it securely between his fingers, "death."

"Oh," she nodded knowingly, "I understand."

Silence settled between the two of them for a minute or two before she spun herself around to face him directly.

Then, she whispered something so quietly that it had almost been lost in the breeze. "I'm sick of watching people die, Eren."

Her words were like being pierced by a dagger. He could feel it stinging uncomfortably from the inside, but he had to look down before he even realized that he had been bleeding all along. Coming outside at night like this was just his way of ignoring how much he was really hurting.

"Are you scared?" He whispered. He swallowed back the sob that threatened to escape his throat. Tears prickled at the corners of his eyes, but he refused to let them fall.

"Yes," she murmured softly. The tears rolling down her cheeks glistened in the moonlight.

"Yeah," he nodded solemnly, "me too."

He wiped her tears away with his hand, caressing her cheek before his hand settled beneath her chin. Gently, he tilted her head upward. Then, his lips were moving against hers. He watched her teary eyelashes flutter as her eyes shut.. It was needy and desperate, yet still filled with passion and love.

His arms snaked around her waist, pulling her tight up against his chest. Her own arms found their way around his neck as they kissed over and over again for the first time.

"_This,"_ he thought to himself, _"is what it means to be alive." _

IV.

_A kiss on the hand is given by gently grasping someone's hand by the fingers and kissing the backside. This demonstrates respect, adoration, and kindness. _

"Daddy!" He felt a small hand tugging at the bottom of his shirt. "Daddy come play princess with me!"

Eren looked down fondly at the four-year-old girl in front of him. She looked so much like her mother. Her short black hair stuck out in two messy, uneven pigtails. He smiled at the way her lips pouted out and her gray eyes twinkled with life and innocence. How could he say no to her?

Slowly, he crouched down to her eye level and reached for one of her little chubby hands. It felt so soft and small in his own worn, calloused ones. He took a moment to be grateful her hands would never have to do the things his had.

Slowly, he brought it up to his lips and kissed it.

"Well then," he smiled with adoration, "it's an honor, Princess Carla."

She giggled playfully. Her pigtails bounced as she skipped over to the makeshift table she had prepared. He noticed that the little yellow ribbon on her baby blue dress was coming undone and made a mental note to fix it for her later. The summer sun shone brightly though the open window of their little cabin out in the woods. A gentle summer breeze blew in, and he sighed with contentment.

It had been five years since the fall of the titans, and so much had happened. The remaining members of the Survey Corps had gone on one last expedition outside the walls, exploring the outside world freely for the first time. Eren married Mikasa as soon as they returned from the journey, and the two had built a cabin out in the woods just outside of Wall Maria. Carla was born almost a year later, and the three had lived peacefully together as a family ever since. Between his adventures, "Uncle" Armin visited them from time to time, which was something Carla always looked forward to.

"Come on, Daddy!" Carla motioned for him to come sit on the floor next to her.

He chuckled a little before plopping down next to his daughter. He smiled at the way she pretended to pour tea for the two of them while she hummed quietly to herself.

"Here Daddy," she reached behind her and held up a beaded necklace, "wear this."

He took the string of beads from her and placed it around his neck. He knew better than to question her by now. Carla was headstrong and stubborn just like her mother.

"Now it's time to fix your hair!" She stood up, clapping her hands together.

"Carla, sweetheart," he grabbed her hand, "is that really necessary?"

"Of course!" She raked the brush through his tangled hair. He cringed as it pulled at his scalp. "You want to look pretty, don't you?"

"I suppose," he laughed. He didn't even want to know how silly he looked.

"Eren! Carla!" Mikasa's voice rang from the kitchen. "It's time for dinner!"

Eren could hear floorboards creaking and his wife's footsteps getting closer and closer. Then, she was standing in the doorway, looking down on them with surprise.

"Hi Mommy!" Carla greeted her happily. "Want to play with us?"

Eren could see the smile tugging at the corner of his wife's lips. "Not now, sweetie," she answered gently. "Go to the kitchen and wash up, okay?"

The young girl nodded and pushed her way passed her mom to the kitchen.

"Don't say anything," Eren eyed his wife once the four-year-old was out of sight.

"Eren," she held a hand up to her mouth to stifle the laughs. "You look ridiculous! What are you two doing, anyways?"

"We were playing princess," he smiled, "and you missed out on all the fun."

"Well," she rolled her eyes, "maybe after dinner, I want to play princess too."

"That," he smiled charmingly, reaching out for her hand, "would be lovely," He brought it up to his lips and kissed it just as he had done with Carla, "Queen Mikasa."

Through her teasing, he could see a genuine smile slowly spread across her face.

"You," she tugged at his hand, turning toward the door, "are a dork."

And silently, he let her lead him into the warm light of the kitchen.

**XX**

_Information on types of kisses taken from typesofkisses dot net. _

_Hi guys! This was written for Eremika Fluff Week, meaning I will be posting a series of oneshots here all week. I may or may not continue to update after Eremika Fluff Week is over. Thank you for reading! Reviews are welcome and appreciated but don't feel obligated. _

_-Eremika _


	2. Tinted Scarlet

_Tinted Scarlet _

_Wall Maria, 845_

"Welcome home, dear," Mikasa greeted him warmly. "I made your favorite kind of soup and knitted you a brand new scarf today."

The two ten-year-olds along with their friend, Armin, were playing in an open meadow just outside of Wall Maria. The sun shone down brightly through the wispy, white clouds gently floating in the sky. It really was the perfect day for the three of them to play house.

Mikasa loved the feeling of the untrimmed grass tickling her bare ankles and the way her long white sundress fluttered in the gentle spring breeze.

"I brought you these," Eren handed her a bouquet of handpicked wildflowers from the meadow. Even though she knew that they were only pretending, she couldn't help but feel her heart speed up and her knees go weak.

"They're lovely," she noted honestly. Carefully, she reached out to accept them. "Thank you, Eren."

She turned away, feeling a blush creep up into her cheeks. She hoped that he wouldn't notice, and knowing Eren, he probably wouldn't. He had never been very good at reading her feelings.

"And where is our son?" He looked around.

Armin, who had been lying down in the grass that was his "bedroom," stood up and made is way into the pretend kitchen.

"Welcome home, dad," Armin smiled at his friend. "How was work?"

"Busy," he shook his head and sighed. He sat down around the piece of wood that was the table and waited for Mikasa to serve them soup. "I had so many patients to see today. I'm just glad that it's time for dinner now."

Armin laughed, looking up at the sky. "Speaking of dinner, I better get going," he stood up. "I told my grandfather I'd be on time today."

"But Armin," Eren pouted, "we can't play house without you!" He crossed his arms in a childlike manner and shot his friend a look of disappointment.

"Sure you can!" Armin shrugged. "Parents must do _something _when their kids grow up and move away!"

He shot them one last smile before turning to walk back toward Shiganshina. "See you guys later!" He shouted back at them. Mikasa watched him run until he vanished into the trees.

The two of them stood still for a moment, eyes still fixated on the spot where Armin had disappeared.

"They grow up so fast," Eren sighed. He reached up to wipe away a fake tear before turning to go back inside their imaginary home.

Mikasa followed him, and the two sat back down in front of the log.

"So," she began after a brief moment of silence, "what do parents do when their kids grow up and leave anyway?"

"Hmmm," he thought for a moment, "I'm not really quite sure. Though, I do remember my dad telling me that parents get depressed once they are all alone again," he suggested. He leaned back with a sigh, sprawling out across the brightly colored green grass and closing his eyes.

"Really?" She asked. She spread out on the ground beside him and closed her eyes as well, taking in the warm sunlight against her skin and the breeze dancing through her hair.

"Yeah," she heard him reply, "it's a real thing! It has a name and everything."

"I see," she nodded to herself. The song of the birds singing and leaves rustling in the wind lulled her into a state of relaxation. She could stay like this, lying comfortably on the soft, grassy earth, forever. She wanted to right next to him like this for the rest of her life.

"Hey, Eren?" She spoke after a minute. She opened her eyes and titled her head to look at him.

"Yeah?" He murmured sleepily. His eyes remained closed, yet she couldn't help but notice how peaceful he looked. She almost felt bad for disturbing him.

"Are you…" she drifted off. It was such a strange question, but she couldn't fight back her curiosity, "are you planning on ever having real kids someday?"

"Oh," he answered. She cringed at the surprise in his voice. Maybe it had been a silly question after all.

He opened his eyes and titled his head to face her. She could feel those beautiful green eyes, filled with thought and confusion, lock with her own eyes. Feeling a sudden wave of embarrassment rush to her cheeks, she pulled the tattered red scarf up to cover her face, her eyes falling downward.

"No, I don't think so," he answered, breaking the awkward silence with an answer she hadn't really expected. "At least not while we're still stuck inside these walls."

"Oh," she mumbled shyly. She flipped onto her back once more and closed her eyes, pretending that the conversation hadn't even happened. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment at his answer, but she wasn't entirely sure why she cared in the first place.

"Come on," he interrupted her thoughts, "I think we should go back too. Dinner will probably be ready soon."

She pushed herself up into a sitting position, and he held out a hand to help her stand up. Then, her eyes fell on the flowers he had given her earlier. The beautiful shades of red, yellow, and blue contrasted against the dark brown log she had set them on. They were truly gorgeous. She didn't want to just leave them there.

Noticing that she had been staring them, Eren reached over to pick them up.

"We can take these back with us," he smiled softly. It was almost like he had read her mind.

"Here," he said, removing a bright red daisy from the bunch. Gently, he pushed it into her hair before pulling back to get a good look at her.

"It looks great," he smiled. He reached for her hand and tugged her along behind him. "Red looks good on you."

And she thought to herself that it was a good thing he couldn't see her face. At this point, it was probably about the same shade of scarlet as the flower in her hair.

**XX**

_Sorry this one is a day late. I just finished up finals week and moved out of my dorm, so I have been so busy! I was actually going to write more to this one, but I couldn't find the time, so it feels a little incomplete. I'm not really happy with this, but I do like my Day 3 prompt, which will be posted shortly after this one! _

_Thanks for reading! _

_-Erernika _


	3. Of Bows and Bubbles

_Of Bows and Bubbles _

The young woman sighed, pushing open the door to her small wooden cabin in the woods.

Eren had been gone for almost three months now, and she missed him terribly. He had gone with Armin and Levi on another expedition outside of the walls, and he wasn't due to return for another few weeks or so.

In the meantime, she had been trying to distract herself and keep busy with work around the house. She'd cleaned every room dozens of times, knitted three new scarfs for Eren, threw together a couple quilts for the upcoming winter, and made countless meals and desserts. It was all useless, however, when her husband wasn't there anyway.

She sighed, setting down the basket of freshly picked berries on the kitchen counter. Since they were in season, they were the perfect shade of deep, juicy red. She picked them specially to bake a pie.

"_Eren's favorite pie,"_ she thought with a sad sigh.

Feeling a sudden wave of loneliness and exhaustion, she collapsed into one of the wooden kitchen chairs, her head falling into her hands. Her eyes stung from lack of sleep, and the throbbing pain in her head was becoming worse.

Slowly, she lifted her head and looked around the dull empty kitchen. The sun shone in brightly through the open window, illuminating the clean countertops and spotless wooden floor. The sink sat empty. There wasn't a dirty dish in sight. Both his shoes and hers were lined neatly on the rug next to the big wooden door. Eren's jackets hung untouched on the wooden coat rack next to the shoes. It made her sad to see such a lifeless and empty sight.

She shook her head, bringing her fingers up to rub her temple, but it didn't ease the pain. What she really needed was an afternoon nap. Slowly, she stood up and made her way toward the stairs.

The pie was going to have to wait.

Suddenly, she heard something from upstairs hit the floor directly above her with a thud. She froze in place, straining her ears to listen for more noise. Faintly, she could hear what sounded like a man's voice.

Alarm rushed through her as she slowly backed away from the stairs. If she hadn't been awake before, she certainly was now. She couldn't help but remember what had happened the last time there had been a stranger in her house.

She tiptoed into the kitchen, cursing as the floorboards creaked beneath her feet. She opened up the perfectly organized cupboard and pulled out a shiny metal frying pan. All of her weapons were upstairs, so it would have to do temporarily. She made a mental note to put the weapons in a more convenient place in the future.

Cautiously, she made her way up the stairs, frying pan clutched securely between her hands. She cursed as the stairs moaned beneath her feet.

She froze midway up when she heard the voice again. It definitely belonged to a man.

"_And scars are souvenirs you never lose! The past is never faaaaaar," _

He was…singing? And from the way it sounded, she guessed he was in the bathroom.

"_And did you lose yourself somewhere out there? Did you get to be a staaaaaar!" _

"What the hell?!" She whispered to herself. She could hear water running in the background, which could only mean this stranger was in her bathtub.

"_Who would break into my house to sing in my bathtub?!" _She thought to herself, lowering the frying pan. The imposter wouldn't be able to hear her over the sound of the running water. Still, she proceeded up the stairs slowly and carefully.

"_And don't it make you sad to know that life is more than who we aaaaaare!" _

She reached the top of the stairs and peered out into the hallway. The voice was definitely coming from her bathroom, but the intruder had closed the door behind him, meaning she had time to get a better weapon.

"_You grew up way too fast! Now there's nothing to belieeeeve when reruns all become our history," _

She tiptoed into the bedroom and reached under the bed for the bow and arrow Sasha had given them as a wedding gift. Leaving the forgotten pan of the floor, she moved carefully toward the closed bathroom door. She froze again for a second when she heard the water shut off, but the voice continued to sing.

"_A tired song keeps plaaaaying on a tireeeed radio."_

Somehow it sounded…familiar. She shook her head and pushed away the thought.

She could feel her heart hammering inside her chest as she neared the bathroom. Slowly, she drew back the bow and took a deep breath. Noticing that the door wasn't completely closed, she lifted her foot up to kick it open.

"_And I won't tell nooooooo one your name. And I won't tell em your na-"_

Her foot slammed forcefully into the door, sending it ramming into the bathroom wall. Pieces of wood snapped off the door and flew in all directions, but she ignored this as she lowered her bow and aimed it directly at-

"Eren?!"

"Holy shit, Mikasa!" He screamed, clearly alarmed by her sudden entry. "Be careful with that thing!"

"Eren?" Slowly, she lowered the bow before it fell to the floor with a clatter. Through the hot steam and the tears of relief that glazed her vision, she could still see him clearly. His handsome face remained frozen in a startled expression, but those beautiful green eyes, filled with concern, remained focused on her. His wet, messy brown hair was matted against his face, and bubbles covered his presumably naked body from the neck down.

"Are you okay?" He asked. "You look a bit pale."

She took a few steps forward and dropped to her knees at the side of the tub, throwing her arms around him and burying her head into his neck. Hesitantly, he reached up to wrap his arms, dripping and covered in bubbles, around her torso.

"I didn't think you'd be home for another three weeks," she finally answered. The tears that had been stinging at the corners of her eyes trickled over.

He laughed, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. "I see," he spoke softly. "I scared you, didn't I?" His voice was teasing, but also gentle and understanding. She had missed the sound of it these last few months. "You weren't expecting me to be here, so you thought some stranger broke into our house and decided to take a bubble bath in our tub."

"Something like that," she smiled. She pulled away from him, realizing that she was now soaking and covered in the clear, glossy bubbles. "Why are you back so soon?"

"Well," he sighed, "we really accomplished everything we set out to. On top of that, we were running low on supplies and half of us were falling ill, so we had a choice to head back early or stay, and I just," he hesitated for a minute. She watched as he scratched the back of his neck nervously, just like he had when the two of them were teenagers, "I missed you, Mikasa."

She laughed, reaching up to wipe away the tears that were rolling down her cheeks. "I missed you so much, Eren," she admitted.

He opened his arms up again, and she fell into them once more. She was already wet anyway, and she had missed his warm embrace terribly. Her bed had been so cold and empty without him by her side.

"Why don't you join me?" he suggested after a moment of silence.

She hesitated. A bath really hadn't been on her agenda of things to do for the day, but she had to admit that it did sound kind of nice.

"Well I was going to bake a pie," she smirked at the way his eyes lit up. He was such a child, but pie was his favorite after all.

"Are you sure you didn't know I was coming?" He asked. His handsome face melted into a genuine smile that might have knocked her to her knees if she hadn't already been sitting. God, she had missed him.

"Nope. Hence the bow and arrow," she nodded her head over to the forgotten weapon on the bathroom floor.

He laughed, and soon she found that she was laughing too. The situation was ridiculous really, but it would be fun to tell Armin and the others the next time she saw them.

"Come on," he motioned for her to get in the tub. "Take off your clothes and get in here. You're all wet anyway. We can bake that pie together later, okay?"

"Fine," she rolled her eyes playfully and reached up to unbutton her shirt. "You know, I kind of missed you."

"Yeah," he smirked, reaching his hand up to flick water at her, "I kind of missed you too."

_Epilogue: _

She pushed him back against the bedroom door, hastily tugging at the bottom of his shirt and pulling it up over his head. She raked her hands through his messy brown hair while leaning in to kiss him. She felt his tongue trail along the bottom of her lip while she ran her hands over his bare chest, feeling the toned muscles that he had been hiding underneath his shirt.

"God," he panted between kisses, "I missed you so much."

She smiled, her lips trailing down to the soft skin of his neck. She teasingly ghosted over his neck before biting down. She felt his hands run up her bare back as he fumbled to unhook her bra strap. Her lips found his again and the two of them stumbled back toward the bed.

But they never made it there.

Through the passion, Mikasa was vaguely aware of a clanging noise coming from beneath his feet. In fact, she hadn't thought anything of it until she felt the absence of his arms around her and caught a glimpse of a small, dark object sliding across the wood floor. She looked down to see Eren, half-naked and somewhat startled, sprawled out on the floor.

"Eren!" She dropped to her knees beside him. "Are you all right? What happened?"

"I'm fine," he mumbled. He reached up to rub his head. "I just tripped over something."

"_Huh?" _She thought to herself. Her head snapped up as she took a quick glance around the room. _"I've kept this place immaculate. What could have he possibly tripped ov-"_

Then, she caught sight of the little metal frying pan that he had reached over to pick up.

"_Shit," _she mentally cursed, _"I forgot about that." _

His eyes were squinted in confusion as he flipped over the pan to examine it.

"Oh I was just…." She began, "I was just…cleaning the kitchen…and ummm…moved some stuff up here."

But by then, he already had it figured out. She could see it in his expression. A smirk slowly spread across his handsome face, and his eyebrows arched upward with amusement.

"Really Mikasa?" He chuckled. Her eyes fell downward with embarrassment. He was never going to let this one go. "You were going to take me out with a _frying pan_?!"

**XX**

_A/N- I like this one a lot better than the last one! This was so fun to write. I already have tomorrow's written, it's just a matter of when I have time to go back and edit it and then post it. _

_Again, thank you for reading and review if you wish! And a big special thanks to those of you who have. I really appreciate your feedback! It gives me some extra confidence and some new ideas. _

_-Eremika _


	4. Push and Pull

_Push and Pull _

The sound of the waves crashing over the soft white sand should have lulled her to sleep, but somehow, she just wasn't tired.

She sighed, pushing herself up into a sitting position. Everyone else appeared to out.

Ever since they had defeated the titans and left the walls to explore the rest of the world, she hadn't slept well. She wasn't quite sure why. It might have been that her dreams were plagued with the screams of her dying comrades. Or maybe it was simply because there was so much to do and see that she didn't have time for sleep.

But Mikasa guessed that the true culprit behind her restlessness was the stubborn, brown-haired boy who happened to be curled up in the sand next to her. She watched the steady rise and fall of his chest with fascination. She made note of the way his mouth hung open, and she memorized the sound of his slow, consistent breathing.

She loved to watch him sleep. She loved to watch him smile and laugh. She loved the way those beautiful green eyes glimmered in the sunlight and the way they lit up when he looked at her. She loved moments like these when she could sit and watch him breathe and know that they were both alive.

But it had been almost a year since the fall of the titans. The both of them were almost twenty, and yet, she still had absolutely no idea how he felt about her.

She shrugged the blanket off of her shoulders and pushed herself up onto her feet. She wasn't entirely sure were she was going, but she knew a late night walk might help her clear her mind.

Her feet sunk down into the wet sand as she walked along the shore. The waves rolled down on top of her bare feet, and the cold ocean water took her by surprise. The cool sea breeze blew her white dress up, and her shoulder length black hair whipped along with it.

Somehow, walking alongside the moonlit blue waves, Mikasa felt pretty. Even though her hair was tangled, her dress was dirty, and she had sand wedged in between her bare toes, she felt pretty.

She couldn't help but wonder if Eren would think so too.

Mikasa blushed and cursed herself for thinking such thoughts. She had taken this peaceful walk to forget about her childhood friend. Instead, like the waves drifting toward the shore, she felt her mind being pulled back to him.

It wasn't like they didn't talk. In fact, he had been paying attention to her more and more. He was still Eren of course- moody and angry and stubborn as hell- but since they defeated the titans, he was a happier moody, angry, and stubborn as hell. At the very least, he was more like the Eren she fell in love with all those years ago when he saved her life for the first time.

He smiled at her and they laughed together and they stayed up late sometimes to talk about the past or how they thought the world was created.

It certainly _seemed_ like there was something else there, but the two of them had never really talked about it. Granted, Eren was absolutely _terrible_ with words and feelings, but she needed to know. She needed to hear him tell her what he really felt.

She sighed and made her way out of the ankle deep water. The sand stuck to the bottom of her feet as she trudged toward a large rock formation. She leaned back and slid down against it, settling into the silky sand.

She pulled her knees up against her chest and found herself staring up at the night sky, painted with thousands of glimmering white lights. They weren't nearly so beautiful from inside the walls.

"Amazing, isn't it?"

She jumped at the sudden sound of a familiar voice.

"Eren!" She looked up to see the cause of her insomnia staring down at her with that handsome, rare smile of his. "You scared me!"

He took a few steps toward her and lowered himself down on the sand next to her, leaning his head back against the stone to get a better look at the stars.

"Armin says that there are more stars up there than grains of sand on every beach in the world," he continued. She watched in fascination as he picked up a handful of the smooth white grains and let them fall slowly out of his hand.

"I'm not sure I believe that," she admitted. Her shimmering gray eyes met those gorgeous green ones for the first time that night.

"Well," Eren shrugged, "If Armin said it, it's probably true."

She laughed and shifted her gaze back up to the darkened canvas and the white specks that dotted it. It seemed like every time she looked up, there were more of them. Maybe Armin was right after all.

"I'm guessing you couldn't sleep either?" She asked after a moment of peaceful silence.

"Well, I was asleep," he began, "but then I woke up and saw you walking along the shore and-" he hesitated, scratching the back of his neck, "I just wanted to spend some time with you."

She felt the blood rush to her cheeks and hoped that the darkness was enough to hide her blush. She had the urge to change the subject entirely, but somehow she felt like this was heading in the direction that it needed to. This was a conversation that was going to have to happen eventually.

"And I've…um…" he stuttered, "been meaning to talk to you, Mikasa."

_Oh God._ She could have sworn he could hear her heart hammering inside her chest.

"I just," he started again, "Uh…really like talking to you…is all."

"Oh," she looked down, hoping the disappointment in her voice wasn't too obvious, "what did you want to talk about?"

She dragged her finger along the sand, carefully tracing all of the characters that spelled out her name.

"I don't know," he shrugged, "stars…I guess."

Mikasa sighed and leaned back against the rock, closing her eyes. Why did that boy have to make everything so difficult?

"I look up at them, and I just," he sighed, "feel so small. So…insignificant. Sometimes I get so caught up in my own little world that I forget I'm just a small part of something so much bigger."

"Yeah," she spoke quietly. She really didn't know what else to say.

"In the walls, I felt like my world was too small," he continued, "but now, looking up at all of this and watching the waves roll onto the beach, I think I'm the one that's too small."

She nodded to let him know she was still listening. She stared out across the endless, shimmering body of water and couldn't help but wonder how big it really was.

"Armin also says," he interrupted her thoughts after a moment of silence, "that the ocean is so big and deep that no one really knows what's at the bottom. It's completely dark. Isn't that scary?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "Not as scary as the titans though."

He smiled and stared up at the stars once more.

"Listen, Mikasa," he began, "I didn't really follow you all the way out here to talk about stars and water."

"Oh?" She tucked a lose strand of hair behind her ear.

He scooted away from the rocks, lying down on his back with his head facing her. She copied his movement and found herself lying with her ear down in the sand facing him.

"I wanted to tell you…" he paused for a moment and looked down at the sand, "I wanted to tell you how afraid I am."

Again not what she had been expecting to hear. Her eyebrows furrowed down in confusing, and seeing this, he elaborated.

"I'm scared because the ocean is deep and dangerous and scary," he admitted, and the childlike fear in his eyes showed her that he was speaking from the very bottom of his soul. "I'm scared because there are more stars out there in that big unknown darkness than tiny grains of sand on this beach."

"But most all," he continued, eyes brimming with sincerity, "I'm scared because I think I'm in love with you," he whispered.

Even though one of her ears was pressed down into the sand, she heard him clearly, and he truly did sound terrified.

"Eren," she breathed, "I-"

"Shh," he pressed a finger to her lips, "don't speak. At least not yet."

"Close your eyes, Mikasa,"

Her eyes fluttered shut, and she could feel his breath against her face. His lips grazed her cheeks before gently settling on her lips. It took them both a few seconds before he began to move his lips against hers, gently tracing his tongue along her bottom lip before slowly pulling back.

It wasn't perfect like the fairy tails Armin told them about they were kids. It was a slowly and inexperienced, but it made her feel alive nonetheless.

She opened her eyes and noticed the tears shimmering on his cheeks.

"Eren," she smiled, cupping his cheek with her hand, "why are you crying?" Despite the accusation, the tears in her own eyes were becoming dangerously close to spilling over.

"Because I love you," he smiled crookedly, "and that scares me, but," he reached up to wipe the tears away before wiping away her tears as well, "it also makes me so happy, Mikasa."

"I've always loved you, Eren," she admitted.

"Yeah, I know," he sat up and pulled her into his arms, "but it took me until yesterday to figure that out."

"And you figured that out all on your own?" She asked with a smile. She nuzzled her face into his chest and closed her eyes, curling up against his warm body.

"Well," he hesitated, "Armin might have helped a little."

She laughed as she felt his arms tighten around her. _Thank you, Armin_.

"This…um…still isn't what I wanted to talk to you about," he mumbled into her hair, planting a kiss on the top of her head.

She tilted her head up in surprise. "Oh?" She asked. "You sure do have a strange way of avoiding things, Eren."

"I know…I know…" he laughed. "But I'm getting closer."

She looked up into his eyes from her place against his chest, letting him know that she was waiting and listening.

"I've been thinking," he began slowly, "after this whole exploration thing is over, maybe we could settle down somewhere. We could get a cabin out in the woods, just like the one you grew up in. It would be just the two of us, and maybe if you wanted to," he hesitated for a moment, "we could have kids. A boy and a girl. And we could give them the childhood the two of us never had."

"Mikasa," he gazed down at her through tear filled eyes, "let's get married."

"Okay," she smiled, her eyes glimmering with happiness.

He smiled back, leaning down to kiss her softly on the lips. "Okay."

**XX**

_A/N- The fluff is strong in this one! I wrote this about a month ago in the middle of the night and reread it just now for the first time…and I may have gone overboard with the fluff. But I have no regrets._

_Thank you all for reading! Also, thank you for the feedback! It's greatly appreciated. I'm debating on continuing this oneshot collection after Eremika Week, so if anyone has any ideas they want me to write out, just let me know, and I'll let you know if it's something I can do! _

_Thanks again,_

_-Eremika _


	5. Made with Memories

_Made with Memories_

Mikasa sighed, staring blankly up at the ceiling from her spot on the stiff mattress. The room was dark, and the heavy breathing coming from Sasha and Historia told her that she was the only one still awake.

But she couldn't help it. She just couldn't fall asleep. No matter how hard she tried, her mind kept drifting back to a certain titan boy who had seemed even more depressed than usual this past week, and Mikasa had an idea why.

Tomorrow marked the six year anniversary of the fall of Wall Maria and his mother's death. She wanted so badly to say something…_anything_…to make him smile again, but she didn't have the words. All she could manage to do was tell him that he needed to eat, but even her nagging didn't anger him. His eyes remained dead and distant, and he would reply with a simple "I'm just not hungry."

She yawned, rolling over onto her side. She understood why he was so upset. His mother had been a wonderful woman. Suddenly, it dawned on her how terribly she missed Carla. If she missed her that much, she couldn't even imagine how much Eren missed her.

Her mind drifted back to the first time she met Carla seven years ago. Mikasa had shown up on her doorstep with Eren and Grisha tired, dirty, and covered in blood, and without even questioning anything, she had taken her in instantly. She had hurried her inside the house and cleaned her up before tucking her in to a nice warm bed in a comfortable new home.

Her life had literally been over the moment her mother's body dropped to the ground. Those men would have sold her into the sex trade. She would have been beaten, raped, and abused for the rest of her life. But by some chance of fate, she didn't end up with that life. Instead, she ended up with the Jaegers, and they were truly the best thing that had ever happened to her.

There were so many things she had loved about Carla Jaeger- her smile, her kind, motherly aura, the way she teased and doted on her son, and Carla had always made the best cherry pies. She smiled sadly at the memory. Those cherry pies had been Eren's absolute favorite. And she had to agree, they were extremely delicious! Carla had even gone out of her way to teach Mikasa how to make it once, and she had managed to bake Eren's birthday treat all by herself.

She would do anything to go back to those days. What she would give to get a taste of that cherry pie once more.

Suddenly, the idea hit her. "That's it!" She whispered, shooting up into a sitting position.

Currently, Squad Levi was on a mission to settle some military issues in Stohess and help repair some of the damages caused by the fight between Eren and Annie awhile back. Surely she could find the ingredients she needed to bake that pie here. She had a little bit of money she'd been saving up for something important. She was sure she could find a way to slip away from her duties around town tomorrow and find the time to buy what she needed at the market.

It was brilliant! Surely, this would cheer him up.

She dropped back down onto the bed, pulling the covers up to her chin. Operation "Make Eren Smile" was officially a go.

**XX**

"Okay," Mikasa said to herself. She dropped the paper bag on the floor of her shared bedroom. "I think I have everything I need."

It had been easier than she had expected to sneak away from her military duties for the day to run to the Stohess market. She had changed into her civilian clothes, allowing her to blend in with the crowd of people on the busy city streets. Now, she had returned to the military quarters with everything she needed to bake the pie.

She pulled the ingredients out of the bag to double check she had everything she needed. Her memory was a bit rusty, but she was pretty sure she remembered the basics that Carla had taught her. She knew what ingredients she needed, but the measurements might be a tad off. She just hoped it would taste good all the same.

The next part of her plan was a bit more challenging. Somehow, she needed to sneak into the kitchen area to throw everything together and use the oven.

Slowly, she put the items back in the bag and lifted it into her arms. She cautiously poked her head out the door to make sure no one else was in the hallway before tiptoeing toward the kitchen, which was strictly off limits to the Survey Corps members staying there. However, getting caught was a risk Mikasa was willing to take.

"_I can't bear to see him like that for much longer,"_ she grimaced. She pictured those sad, lightless eyes. Eyes that had once held so much life and happiness. He was so incredibly handsome when he smiled, but Eren's smile was most visible through his eyes. She pictured the way those beautiful green eyes sparkled when he was truly happy. _That_ was her Eren. That was the Eren she wanted to see.

If she hadn't been determined before, she certainly was now. She stopped outside of the darkened kitchen area and froze when she noticed that the door, which should have been locked and closed, was slightly cracked open, and she could hear a strange noise coming from inside.

"_What the hell,"_ she mouthed, setting the bag down on the tiled floor. That noise wasn't normal. Slowly, she pushed open the door and slide through, squinting to see through the darkness.

She breathed in a sigh of relief when she realized that the darkened figure hastily shoving food into its mouth was just Sasha. Really, she shouldn't have been surprised at all.

"Sasha," she whispered urgently.

The brunette whipped her head up in alarm. Her eyes were wide with fear and a piece of meat hung out of her mouth. Her features softened when she realized it was just Mikasa who had caught her stealing from the kitchen.

"What are you doing here?" Mikasa asked even though she already knew the answer.

Sasha reached up to take the meat out of her mouth. "Because I'm sick of soup, Mikasa!" She looked up at her with sad eyes. "I just wanted a good meal is all! Oh please don't tell anyone!"

"I won't," she responded quickly, "I just-"

"Wait," Sasha paused, "why are _you _here? In case you were going to ask, I'm not sharing my meat with you."

"Shh," Mikasa hushed her, "try to keep it down! I'm here because," she hesitated for a moment. How was she going to explain this without explaining _everything_? "Well, long story short I'm trying to bake Eren a pie."

"A pie!" Sasha's face lit up. "Oh please let me have some too, Mikasa! I love pie! Pie is my favorite!"

"Shhh! No!" Mikasa whispered. "It's for Eren! He's been…depressed lately, and I'm just trying to make him feel better, so please don't tell anyone. I just," she paused, looking for the right words, "I just want to see him smile again. That's all."

"Ohhh I get it," Sasha smirked, biting into a raw potato. "You love him!"

"Wha…what?!" Mikasa felt a blush creeping up into her cheeks. She shook her head, "Sasha, could you please just…leave for an hour? That's all I need! I can…ummm…" she rattled her brain for some method of bribery, "bring you some more food when I leave! Okay?"

"Deal!" Sasha spat through a mouthful of potato. She stood up to leave. "I hope your boyfriend likes the pie!" She shouted back into the kitchen before closing the door behind her.

"He's not my-" she tried, but Sasha was already gone.

Mikasa shook her head and tried to focus on the task at hand; baking the pie without letting anyone know that she was here.

"Okay," she spoke quietly to herself. She walked over to the dusty wooden cupboards and found a bowl that appeared to be clean enough before taking the ingredients out of the bag. "Flour, sugar, cherries…"

**XX**

She closed the bedroom door behind her and slid down against it, clutching the paper bag containing the now completed pie. She let out a long, slow sigh of relief before taking the pie out of the bag to get a better look at it.

It had been nearing the dinner hour, so as soon as the pie had finished baking, she had thrown all of her stuff back into the bag and slipped quickly out of the darkened kitchen. She hadn't really gotten to take a good look at the dessert she had made.

It smelled delicious! And it looked edible…she was a little unsure on the amount of flour she put in, but it had to taste better than the soup they were constantly fed for every meal of the day.

At least it was something. She just hoped it would be enough to lift his spirit, even if only a little.

She jumped when she heard the sound of heavy footsteps approaching the boys' room. She could hear their voices…

"Man I'm tired,"

"Connie, you didn't even do anything! You just goofed off the entire time!"

Mikasa recognized Jean's voice. She pressed her ear against the wooden door to hear more.

"Come on guys," she heard Armin interrupt, "quit fighting!"

Armin was there too…Eren had to be with them. Carefully, she creaked open her door and peaked out into the hallway. She watched Connie and Jean walk by, closely followed by Armin. Then, she saw him, trailing a few steps behind everyone else and looking absolutely exhausted.

Quickly, she opened the door and stepped out into the hallway, grabbing onto his sleeve and tugging to get his attention.

He turned to face her, and the sight nearly killed her.

He looked _awful. _Apart from just looking physically tired, he looked mentally exhausted as well. The dark bags under his eyes told her that he hadn't been sleeping well either. His eyelids drooped down with fatigue over his now dull sea green eyes.

"Eren," she spoke softly, her voice filled with concern.

"I'm fine," he shook her off, "I promise. I'm gonna eat dinner and try to get better sleep tonight, so you don't have to worry about me, Mikasa."

Yet, he didn't sound angry with her. In fact, it almost seemed like he was trying to convince himself that he was alright. Rather than argue with him, she decided he needed his gift now.

"Hey," she answered gently. She reached out to pull him back toward her room, "I have something I want to give you."

She tugged him into her bedroom and closed the door behind them. She was pleased to see a confused look plastered across his attractive boyish face. At least he didn't look tired and emotionless anymore.

She bent down to pick the warm, freshly baked dessert off of the wooden bedroom floor and turned to give it to him.

"Here," she held it out for him to take. She didn't really know what else to say or how to explain, so she simply went with what felt right; the truth. "I've noticed that you've been really down this last week, and I know why, so I thought maybe this would cheer you up a little. I hate seeing you like this, Eren."

Her eyes, which had fallen downward sometime during her explanation, found their way back up to his face. The look of confusion had been replaced by one of total surprise and disbelief. She was slightly alarmed when she noticed the tears pooling in his eyes and trickling down his cheeks. He reached out to take the dessert from her.

"Mikasa," he murmured softly, "how did you…I can't believe this…"

"Your mom," she swallowed, "well…she taught me how, and I just…I knew it was your favorite and I thought maybe, if I made it, it would remind you that she's still here," her voice shook. Slowly, she raised her right hand and rested it over the place where his heart was.

"I thought that maybe…" she drifted off. She struggled a moment before finding the right words. "I thought maybe it would make you happy, but instead, I made you cry."

She closed her eyes and felt her own tears spill over and slide down her cheeks. What had she been thinking? Of course this would only bring back painful memories for him. She'd only managed to hurt him even more.

"Mikasa," she felt his hand tilt her chin upward, "look at me."

With tears still caught in her damp eyelashes, her eyes fluttered open and came to focus on his smiling face. She felt her heart speed up at the sight.

She could tell he wasn't faking it for her sake either. It was a rare, genuine smile that spread upward into his cheek bones and lit up those wonderful eyes of his, and for a moment, she saw the boy she had fallen in love with all those years ago.

"I just can't believe that you remembered," he sniffed. He smiled through the tears. "After all these years…you still remembered."

He bent down to set the pie on the ground before pulling her into a tight, warm hug. Instinctively, she nuzzled her head into his shoulder and just let him hold her.

"I think that you caring so much and showing me that her memory lives on in us," he continued, "I think that's why I'm so happy right now."

She smiled against him, silently praying that he would hold her like this for just a little bit longer.

"Thank you, Mikasa," he hummed against her ear, "thank you so much."

Then, he pulled back and wiped the tears away with his sleeve, laughing a bit at his own over-emotional state.

"You know she loved you too, right?" He asked after a moment.

"Yes, of course," she nodded with a sad smile.

He let out a sigh of exhaustion, but she couldn't help but realize that he looked so much better than he had when she had caught him in the hallway. Maybe operation "Make Eren Smile" hadn't gone so badly after all.

"Come on," Eren plopped down on the ground and motioned for her to sit down next to him. "I'm not gonna eat this all by myself."

She smiled and sat down next to him, folding her legs up against her chest.

"_Yeah_," she thought happily to herself, _"this turned out alright." _

**XX**

_I've always thought that Eren wouldn't handle the anniversary of his mother's death very well, so it was fun to write this one out! Now to get started on tomorrow's prompt, which hopefully will be done in time! _

_Again, thank you all for reading and thanks for your feedback! Please let me know if you have any ideas that you would like me to write out. I have one request right now to add a sequel to yesterday's prompt. _

_Thanks again,_

_-Eremika _


	6. Lullaby

_Lullaby _

"Eren!" A female voice was screaming his name. He groaned sleepily and pulled the covers up over his head. "Eren wake up!" The girl persisted. He felt her tug the blanket out of his grasp and push him forcefully toward the edge of the bed. He shivered when he felt the cool night air hit his exposed skin. Slowly, his opened his eyes, and through the haziness of sleep, he saw Sasha standing behind him. Judging from the horrified look on her face, this must have been urgent.

"What is it? What's happening?" He mumbled groggily, pushing himself up into a sitting position. He looked around to see Jean and Armin confused and awake as well. Sasha's screaming, however, could not wake up Connie, who was still snoring rather loudly.

"It's Mikasa!" Sasha yelled, frantically tugging on his arm. "Come on! Get up!"

"Mikasa?" He repeated. Now he was awake. "What happened to her? Is she alright?"

"I think she had a really bad nightmare but," Sasha inhaled shakily, "but Historia and I can't get her to calm down!"

Now fully awake, he kicked the blanket away and rolled off of the stiff mattress, striding toward the door. Sasha followed close behind as he made his way to the girls' room.

If this nightmare had been anything like the ones she had had when they were kids, he couldn't blame Sasha for feeling so helpless. After her parents died, Mikasa had always had horrible nightmares frequently. Usually, he could get her calmed down on his own, but sometimes, he had run to his mom for help. She had always known exactly what to do.

But Mikasa hadn't had nightmares like this in years. At least not that he knew of. Now, his mom wasn't here to help her anymore, which meant it was all up to him.

As he neared the wooden door, which Sasha must have thrown open in her hurry to come wake him, he could hear her. She wasn't screaming, which was a good sign, but the sound of her choking sobs was enough to make him walk faster.

He entered the room to see Historia sitting on the bed next to a sobbing Mikasa. She was rubbing her back soothingly, trying to calm her down, but it appeared to have no effect. When Historia saw that Eren had entered the room, she immediately hopped up from her place on the bed to make room for Eren. With Historia out of the way, he could see her clearly.

She was sitting up, leaning back against the headboard of the bed. Her hands were tangled in her normally smooth, jet-black hair, and the dim light of Sasha's candle illuminated her face. Her charcoal eyes were wide with terror, and her porcelain cheeks were stained with tear tracks. Her eyes closed when she let out another choked sob, fresh tears spilling over and dripping off of her chin.

"Mikasa," he whispered gently. Slowly, he lowered himself on the bed next to her, the mattress dipping down slightly where he sat. "Hey," he reached up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear, "shhhh. It's alright. I'm here. You're safe."

"Eren," she whimpered.

He winced at the sound of her voice. God he hated seeing her like this. When he looked at her now, it was like looking back at the scared little girl he had found beaten and half-dead six years ago. He sighed, reaching over to gently pull her into his arms

He felt her relax a little bit in his arms, yet hysterical, painful hiccups continued to escape from her quivering lips.

"_What would mom do?"_ He thought frantically. _"Think, Eren! Think!" _

His mind drifted back to all those nights he spent calming her down after a bad nightmare. He had always distracted her with stories of his past and his hope and dreams and Armin's books. On those nights when all else failed, his mother would come in and hand her a glass of water. Then, she would sit down on the edge of her bed and sing a lullaby. His mother had always had the most beautiful singing voice. It had always seemed to put the girl right back to sleep.

He felt a pang of helplessness when he noticed her shaking in his arms. He could feel her tears, hot and wet, soaking through his shirt, and it didn't look like the hiccups were going away anytime soon either.

He sighed. He had never really liked singing, but it looked like he was out of options. He searched the very bottom of his memory to find the words he needed, took a deep breath, and began.

"_I remember tears streaming down your face when I said I'll never let you go. When all those shadows almost killed your light. I remember you said don't leave me here alone, but all that's dead and gone and passed tonight." _

**XX**

"What is he doing?!" Jean whispered from the doorway. He and Armin and both gotten up and followed Eren to find out what all of the noise was about. Currently, the two of them were standing out in the hallway alongside Sasha and Historia, who had explained the situation to them.

"Shhh," Historia motioned for him to shut up, "he's singing."

"Well no shit," Jean rolled his eyes. He was tired, grumpy, and frankly just wanted to go back to bed. The only reason he hadn't was because he was genuinely concerned about Mikasa. "I meant why. Why is he singing?"

"Maybe it calms her down?" Historia shrugged. "I mean, Eren knows her better than any of us. If anybody knows what to do, it's him."

"Bsh," Jean scoffed, "I could do a better job calming her down than that."

"_Just close your eyes. The sun is going down. You'll be alright. No one can hurt you now. Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound." _

"Eren does have a pretty singing voice though," Sasha noted. She leaned over and peered into the room. "It's really kind of cute."

Somewhere behind them, they heard a door close. They turned around when they heard the floorboards creaking under footsteps.

"Shit," Jean muttered.

"I think we woke up Levi-Heichou," Sasha whispered fearfully. There was no telling what he was going to do to them.

"Do you brats have any idea what time it is?" He asked as he approached them.

The four of them could only make out his darkened silhouette, but they imagined that the look on his face was not a happy one.

"It's 2:00 in the goddamn morning," Levi muttered angrily. "Training starts at 6:00 am. You should all be in bed right now."

The four of them remained silent, unsure how to explain the situation to their captain. After all, they didn't fully understand what was going on themselves.

"What the hell is going on anyway?" Levi spat. He folded his arms across his chest and waited for someone to answer him. "Where are the other three?"

"Well," Historia began. Jean certainly wasn't going to speak, and Sasha and Armin were too busy eavesdropping, "Connie is probably snoring in his bed right now, and Eren is in there," she pointed to the open door to the girls' room, "singing to Mikasa because…" she hesitated, "well I think she had a nightmare, but I'm not really sure, so we're just kind of…standing out here. Waiting."

Levi arched his eyebrows up in annoyance and leaned over to peek inside the room. Eren was, indeed, sitting on the edge of the bed, holding the girl in his arms, and serenading her.

He strained his ears to listen.

"_Don't you dare look our your window, darling everything's on fire. The war outside our door keeps raging on. Hold on to this lullaby even when music's gone." _

"Jesus Christ," he reached up to rub his temples.

**XX**

_"__Just close your eyes. The sun is going down. You'll be alright. No one can hurt you now. Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound."_

He finished the song, rubbing her back gently. Her breathing was now slow and steady against his shoulder, and as far as he could tell, she had stopped crying, but he knew she wasn't asleep yet.

"Your mom used to sing that to me," she murmured sleepily after a moment of silence. She nuzzled further into his shoulder and relaxed against him.

"Yeah," he nodded. "She used to sing it to me too."

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked softly. From his experience in dealing with her nightmares, she didn't most of the time, but there were occasions when she would spill the contents of her dreams. Then, the two of them would stay up all night talking about their fears and dreams and wishes.

He felt her shake her head, so he welcomed a peaceful silence between the two of them instead. He wasn't sure if the others had gone to bed or if they were quietly eavesdropping on their conversation. Either way, he couldn't hear a thing coming from the hallway.

"Eren?" She spoke after a minute. She tilted her head up to look at him, her beautiful gray eyes filled with fear.

"Yeah?"

"Don't leave me, okay?" She spoke quietly. Her voice was so soft that he almost didn't catch the cracking, quivering fear that wavered in her words.

Slowly, he leaned down to kiss her softly on the forehead. "Never."

**XX**

_A/N- I know this idea has been way overdone, but I wanted to write it anyway! I tried to do something a little bit different with it and put my own spin on it. Anyway, it's a little time crunched, and I didn't get a chance to edit it, but I'm going to post it here anyway and maybe tweak it a bit later. And the song I used in this is "Safe and Sound" by Taylor Swift feat. The Civil Wars. Man, I must have a thing for Eren singing! _

_Thanks for reading! _

_-Eremika _


	7. Caught in the Rain

_Caught in the Rain_

"This doesn't look good," Eren mumbled to himself. His eyes remained fixed on the darkening sky. The thick, black clouds crept slowly towards him, casting an ominous shadow over the land below.

He and the other Survey Corps members were training with their horses on the outskirts of Wall Rose, and as far as he could tell, he was quite a distance away from the nearest person. They were learning some of the long distance scouting formations for the next mission, so naturally, they were pretty spread out.

"How am I supposed to know if we're retreating or not?" He thought aloud, looking around for a flare signal.

But apart from the approaching clouds, the sky was empty. Slowly, thick droplets of rain began to splatter against the ground sporadically.

"Shit,"

He jumped when he saw the lightning split through the clouds. A crack of thunder immediately followed, and then, it was pouring.

His horse bucked up frantically, screeching at the sudden shower. Evidently, it didn't like water very much.

"Hey!" Eren screamed. His grip on the reins tightened as he struggled to remain in control. "Calm down!"

But it was no use.

Through his panic, he was somewhat aware of the world spinning around him as he flew through the air. He landed flat on his back, his head flying backward and slamming forcefully against the ground. He cried out in pain when he felt something in his back crack.

For a moment, he couldn't bring himself to sit up. He wasn't even sure if he could. So he remained on his aching back, eyes closed as he listened to the fading sound of his horse trotting through the slush.

He groaned and reached up to brush his matted bangs away from his face. Slowly, he rolled onto his side so the rain wasn't pounding on his stomach and yelped as pain shot through his back. He couldn't feel anything broken, but it sure did hurt like hell. What he really needed was to find shelter.

Carefully, he pushed himself back up into a sitting position and examined his surroundings. He was currently in an open field, but a forest of trees sat just off to his left. On the right, he could just make out what appeared to be a shack of some kind. It may have been inhabited, but from a distance it appeared to be abandoned. He squinted through the thick sheets of rain, but it was no use. He couldn't make out anything but the shape.

Concluding that it was probably his best solution, he slowly pushed himself off of the ground, ignoring the pain in his back, neck, and now throbbing head. After all, if he didn't get out of this rain, he would be ill as well as injured.

He started off walking, but after adjusting to the soreness, he took off in a light jog.

As he neared the unidentified shelter, he couldn't help but wonder what the others were doing. He never had seen a flare signal go up to alert them of the oncoming storm. Then again, no one would be able to even see a signal through this rain.

The wind picked up, and he felt himself running against it. The rain continued to pound heavily into the solid ground, the mud splashing up every time his boots made contact with the grass, but he was almost to the shack now. Upon closer inspection, he presumed that it was, in all likelihood, unused and uninhabited. The faded brown wood of the structure was chipped and rotting, and several shingles were missing from the roof. Broken, jagged glass surrounded the empty window frame, and ripped curtains from the inside of the cabin blew violently with every gust of wind.

He stuttered to a stop in front of the large oak door. Cautiously, he pushed it open and peered inside. It appeared to be empty enough. Slowly, he stepped onto the wooden floor and gently closed it behind him.

The cabin was dark in the absence of sunlight. Eren could hardly make out the rotting wood of a small table and two smaller chairs in the corner of the room. As his eyes adjusted, he noticed the peeling brown wallpaper that swirled along the walls of what appeared to be the kitchen. A few rusted pans sat forgotten on the dusty wooden countertop, but other than that, the room was completely empty. The only sound was the dripping of the rain water rolling off his body.

Warily, he made his way through the eerie room, the floorboards moaning beneath his feet. The door into the next room was tilted open and broken at the hinges.

He breathed out a sigh of relief. As of now, he was alone and safe, and he had found a temporary shelter until the storms settled.

He tugged at the button of his cape and let it fall to the floor. He shoved off his jacket, which had been completely soaked through with rain, before entering the next room.

But as he reached down to pull off his muddy boots, his eye caught something moving in the corner. Immediately, he felt a sense of fear rush through him. As his eyes locked with a pair of familiar, smoky gray ones, he realized that he was most definitely not alone.

"Mikasa?" He squinted through the dark. He let out the breath he had been holding and reached up to slick his wet hair back out of his face. "Christ you scared me!"

"Yeah," she stumbled, a blush rising to her cheeks. "You scared me too."

It only took him a second to realize why she was blushing. Her clothes, like his, were soaking wet and scattered across the wooden floor. Her boots, crusted with dried dirt, lay forgotten in a puddle. Her cape, jacket, and scarf were piled together just a few feet away. Her white button up shirt had also been removed and was now clenched tightly in her right hand and dripping steadily onto the floor. Apart from the black bra, her upper torso was completely exposed. The raindrops from her damp black hair fell and slid down the perfectly white skin of her back and stomach. Even in the darkness of the room, the wet porcelain skin shimmered, and it took every ounce of his willpower to tear his eyes away from the beautiful, half-naked woman in front of him.

"Shit," he murmured. His right hand flew up to cover his eyes as he whipped around. Despite being soaked through and freezing, he could still feel the heat rising to his cheeks. "God, Mikasa, I'm so sorry! I didn't-"

"No it's fine, Eren!" She interrupted quickly. "Really! I work out in this all the time so…"

Well, that was true. Granted, this time, he hadn't really been expecting to walk in on the girl he had known since childhood taking off her shirt. During training, at least he knew beforehand that some of the girls would only be wearing sports bras.

"Yeah," he shook his head, "I guess you're right."

"You should take yours off too," she suggested. He noticed the way her eyes fell downward as she reached up to run a hand through her short damp hair.

"Wha…what?" He stuttered. His eyes fell back down to the exposed skin of her torso; the creamy whiteness of her skin, the way her stomach was perfectly flat, and those _abs_. Good hell, those abs were perfect. _She_ was perfect.

"Your shirt! It's soaking wet," she insisted. "You'll catch a cold."

"Oh, right," he nodded, understanding now what she had meant. He reached down and pulled off the clingy, wet shirt and tossed it carelessly on the floor next to his previously abandoned clothes. Then, he reached down to tug off his boots and socks, which the rain had soaked through completely.

He looked back up at Mikasa, whose face now matched the rosy pink tint of her perfectly full lips. Her eyes were pointed down and away from him, and strands of her dripping hair covered parts of her face.

He sighed and slid down on the ground next to the wall. "I'm guessing you lost your horse too?"

"Mmhmm," she hummed, sliding down next to him on the cold wooden floor. "I think she's afraid of thunder. She got scared when it started storming, so I got off to try to calm her down. I lost control, and she ran away."

He nodded understanding, feeling his lips curl upward into a smirk. This whole situation was ridiculous after all.

"That's better than what happened to me," he chuckled. "My horse just bucked me off. I think I cracked everything crackable in my back and I smacked my head against the dirt."

"Eren!" She gasped. "Oh my god, are you okay?"

Gently, she pushed him away from the wall to get a better look at his back, and he winced in pain at the sudden movement.

"Eren," she whispered. From the concern in her voice, it must not have looked good. He hissed in pain when her hands grazed along his shoulder blades and down his spine.

"Tell me," he grunted through clenched teeth, "how bad is it?"

"Bad," she whispered softly. He arched his back in pain as she gently rubbed the aching skin. "It's red in some parts, but most of it's covered in deep, purple and black bruises."

"Oh," he winced. That sounded about right.

"Does your head hurt?" She asked. She retracted her hand from his back and pulled her knees up to her chest.

"Like hell," he muttered. He knew it wasn't what she wanted to hear, and normally, he might have lied to her, but the throbbing of his head was too painful for him to pretend it didn't exist.

"You could lie down," she suggested.

"Nah, I'm fine," he insisted, leaning back against the wall. He winced at the sudden contact and the feeling of the peeling wallpaper itching against the bare skin of his bruised back.

For a minute, the two teens sat in silence, listening to the rain beat down on the roof and the thunder roaring overhead. Bits of rainwater leaked through the ceiling and dripped rhythmically against the floor.

Eren sighed, breaking the silence between them. "What should we do?"

"I…I don't know," she shrugged in reply. "I guess we just stay here until the storm dies down."

"I want it to stop you know," he whispered quietly. "I just want this all to be over with so I can get on living."

"Eren, it's just a little rain," she answered. By the tone of her voice, he could tell she was slightly annoyed. "It'll go away in a couple of-"

"I'm not talking about rain, Mikasa," he interrupted harshly. "I meant this," he motioned to the half of his uniform that remained, wet and clinging to his body. "Training, fighting, watching people die," he spat angrily. "I'm sick of it. I'm sick of it all."

A deafening crack of thunder boomed directly above them, and a bolt of lightning illuminated the empty room. Then, everything fell silent once more, and the drone of the rain on the rooftop settled back in.

"Oh," she murmured knowingly. "I understand."

He sighed, tilting his head up toward the ceiling. She of all people would understand exactly what he was talking about.

"If this ever does end," he began, "and we do defeat the titans, what would you do?" He asked. He turned his head to face her again, catching the glint of surprise in her eyes. Maybe it was a strange question to ask. "What would you want next?"

"Well," she hesitated for a moment. He had always noticed the way her teeth tugged at her bottom lip when she was nervous or thinking hard about something. In this case, he wondered if the nerves or the thought was the culprit. Maybe it was both. "I guess I want the same thing everyone else wants," she shrugged.

She pulled her legs tighter against her chest, tilted her head back against the wall, and closed her eyes. "I want to fall in love, settle down somewhere, and maybe have a couple of kids," she smiled sadly. "That's it. That's all I want."

He nodded, humming in agreement. He studied her face while her eyes remained closed, trying to understanding what she was feeling.

"I can't think about any of that now though," she added quietly. "Obviously, none of those things are going to happen anytime soon. I mean," her voice dropped to barely above a whisper, "at least not the last two anyway."

Eren felt his face twist in confusion. Not the last two? What did she mean? What was the first thing she said again? What was she trying to…

Oh. _Oh_.

"Wait," he held up a hand. "Wait, what?!"

"I…I just meant-," she stuttered. He noticed the rosy pink tint returning to her normally creamy white cheeks.

"You're in love with somebody?!" He shouted. He knew he shouldn't yell at her, but he couldn't help the feeling of anger that began to brew in the bottom of his stomach. "What the hell, Mikasa?! This isn't the time for that! We're soldiers! This world is shit! There isn't time for-"

"Eren! Wait!" Her voice rose defensively. "I never said-"

"What's his name?" He interrupted. He wasn't buying that shit. Mikasa was beautiful after all. Ever since they'd been children, she'd always been the prettiest girl in his life.

"Eren, I really don't think you understand what I meant!"

"What's his name, Mikasa? What squad is he in?" He pressed. Somehow, he didn't think the frustration and rage shooting through him had anything to do with the fact that she was in love. Suddenly, the broken pieces of confusion and hurt fell together, and he realized why he was truly upset.

It wasn't because she was in love. It was because she was in love with someone _else. _

He felt his shoulders slack as the anger boiling within him sizzled out. Instead, everything just felt numb.

He ignored the tears pooling at the corners of her eyes. She clearly wasn't ready to tell him, but he needed to know who this person was. He had to know.

"Who is he?" He asked one more time. Despite the slight wavering, his voice was now quiet and sincere. "I need to know," he pressed. "Who is he? What does he have that I don't?

She sighed, her head falling into her hands. "You're a damn idiot."

"Eren," she spoke his name softly. Slowly, she lifted her head to look him in the eye. "I'm in love with _you_."

_Oh_. Suddenly, everything else…the raging storm outside, the eerie room they sat in, the training they were supposed to be doing…slipped from his mind, and the only thing in his life was her.

His eyes fell to the tears slowly sliding down her flushed cheeks. Her watery gray eyes remained focus on him, and her lips began to quiver slightly. It had all just been a misunderstanding, yet, here they were fighting again. This time, he had pushed her too far. He made her cry again.

"Oh god, Mikasa I…." He stuttered, "I didn't mean to-"

"No, it's fine," she interrupted him. She laughed a little, smiling sadly through the tears. "This isn't really how I wanted to tell you, but it just kind of slipped out. I didn't think you'd think anything of it, and I certainly didn't think you'd get all jealous on me," she chuckled. "I've been in love with you every since we were little kids, Eren. Ever since the day you saved my life."

"God, I'm such an idiot," he shook his head. "I just…I didn't know that's how you felt about me, and it took me until just now to realize how I felt about you. I mean…I always _kind of _knew, it just really hit me, and I," he struggled to find the words he needed. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry."

"It's okay," she wiped the tears off of her chin, "really. It was just a misunderstanding."

He breathed out, thankful that she forgave him for his outburst. He didn't think he deserved it, and he definitely didn't think he deserved her love.

Slowly, he reached out and pulled her into his arms. Her head rolled onto his shoulder, and he felt her relax against him. Her bare skin was soft and warm against his own, and he could feel her heart beating against his chest. Her arms tightened around him, and in that moment, all he wanted to do was hold her like this forever.

Gently, he reached down and titled her chin up to face him. He leaned down and pressed his forehead against hers, feeling her warm, sporadic breathing against his cheek. Then, he closed the distance between them, and their lips melted into a kiss.

"By the way," he pulled back, interrupting the kiss, "In case you haven't figured this out, I'm in love with you too."

Her lips arched upward into a genuine rare smile, and Eren couldn't help but notice how beautiful it was. Slowly, he leaned back down to kiss her again.

And as their lips moved together, he couldn't help but hope he could make her smile like that for the rest of their lives.

_Epilogue _

Armin sighed and pushed open the door to the abandoned cabin. Ever since the rain had stopped, the rest of the group had been looking frantically for Eren and Mikasa. After Jean found their horses, Armin assumed that his two best friends had just gotten caught in the rain.

"Eren! Mikasa!" He called out into the cabin. Slowly, he walked through the creepy abandoned kitchen area and peeked into the next room to spot his two best friends on the floor.

"There you two are!" He sighed with relief. "We've been looking everywhere for-"

Armin's eyes fell on the two teenagers, who were half-naked and tangled together on the floor. Judging by the proximity of their faces and the horrified look in their eyes, they hadn't just been cuddling together for warmth. Armin then noticed the trail of clothes strewn about on the floor leading up to where the two of them were.

"Armin," Eren gulped, "it's great to…uh…see you man!" He stumbled around and pushed himself up off of the young girl beneath him. "Listen," he began, reaching up to scratch the back of his head, "this totally isn't what it looks like."

"Mmhmm," Armin nodded. "I'm sure it's not." A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He clearly was not convinced.

"I mean…it is…but it isn't," Eren tried and failed to explain the situation to his friend. "You see, the clothes have been off this whole time, but we just…no…wait…that's not what I-"

"Yeeeeah," Armin replied sarcastically. His eyebrows arched upward as he shot them a knowing smile. "I'll just be leaving now. I'll tie your horses up outside. Just meet us back at the base in an hour," he gave them a short wave before closing the door and leaving them to whatever it was they were doing before.

The blonde shook his head and laughed to himself. "It's about damn time Eren."

**XX**

_A/N- Here is Day 7 a few days late! Sorry about that! I was busy finishing up college stuff (all done with the year! Yay!) and family stuff and hanging out with friends. Anyhow, this concludes Eremika Fluff Week, but I would like your opinion. Would you like me to continue this oneshot collection? If so, I would really like some ideas from you guys on what you would like me to write. So far, I have one request. _

_Also, I'd love for you to tell me which one of these oneshots you've liked the best so far so I can figure out what people like to read the most and write accordingly. _

_Again, thank you all so much for reading, and thank you for your kind feedback! I hope you enjoyed Eremika Fluff Week. _

_-Eremika _


	8. A Glimmer in the Distance

_A/N- As requested, a sequel to my Eremika Fluff Week Day 4 submission "Push and Pull." This one is told through Armin's point of view because we all know he ships it. _

**XX**

_A Glimmer in the Distance_

"Eren! Mikasa!" Armin called out frantically.

He, along with the rest of the group, had awakened that morning to find the two of them missing. No one had heard them leave the night before, and no one had a clue as to where they might have gone. Ever since dawn, they had searched individually for their missing comrades.

Armin let out a sigh of exhaustion and ignored the irritating feeling of the loose sand moving in his boots. Even though it was 7:00 am and he honestly just wanted to go back to sleep, he was somewhat thankful for peaceful morning walk. If his two best friends hadn't been missing, he never would have gotten to see the sun rising above the ocean.

The sight was breathtaking. The pink and golden light from the rising sun glimmered across the shimmering body of water. The light reflected off the calm morning ripples, dancing in every direction. The cerulean water swirled calmly and peacefully as if it too had just awakened.

Armin stopped walking for a moment and closed his eyes, allowing the morning birds' song and the steady sound of the waves crashing against the shore to lull him into relaxation. He breathed in the scent of the salty ocean water that was carried in the breeze, and he felt his muscles relax at the feeling of the warm sunlight hitting his face. In that moment, he swore he could stay by the ocean forever and be completely content.

He opened his eyes and tore them away from the magnificent sight. Right now, he needed to focus on finding Eren and Mikasa. Then, he could sit down and admire the sunrise.

"Those two lovesick idiots," he mumbled to himself. Still, he couldn't help but shake his head and laugh a little at the two of them. Even if they couldn't, he had always seen that Eren and Mikasa's feelings for each other ran deeper than they understood. After all these years, he was sick of watching them dance around their emotions. So, a few days prior, he had given Eren a slight push in the right direction in hopes that he and Mikasa would finally just admit their undying love for each other.

He shook his head as he trudged through the sand. His boots sunk down with every step, making it somewhat difficult to walk quickly.

"Eren!" He called out again. "Mikasa!"

A large rock formation on the shore was slightly ahead of him. Maybe the two of them were camped out behind it.

Cautiously, he approached the thick, gray slabs of rock and peered around the side. They still weren't completely sure what kind of animals lived out by the ocean, and he most definitely didn't come all this way to get eaten by some creature.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his two friends curled up together on the sand. Eren's back was pressed firmly against the stone and his eyes were closed. From the gentle rise and fall of his chest, Armin could tell that he was still completely asleep. He refrained from laughing at the sight of his best friend's hair sticking out in all directions and the drool trailing from his slightly opened mouth.

Armin's eyes fell to the girl who was tucked in his arms. Her head rested on his torso, and her midnight black hair was splayed across his chest. Her closed eyes fluttered slightly with every slow, gentle breath she took. Armin concluded that she was still asleep as well.

He rolled his eyes, smiling to himself. From the way they were tangled together, it looked like they had finally figured some things out. Maybe they weren't so dense after all.

In any case, the three of them needed to return back to camp immediately. Surely, everyone was growing worried at this point.

"Eren," Armin spoke softly. He tugged at the arm that wasn't wrapped securely around Mikasa and nudged him gently in the shoulder.

"Mmm," Eren moaned, pulling his arm away from Armin.

"Eren!" He called out a little louder. He shook his friend harder.

"Armin," he groaned. He blinked his eyes open and squinted in the morning sunlight. "What's going on? Where am I?"

Armin chuckled slightly as he friend looked around. He retracted the arm that had been around young woman and pushed himself up into a sitting position. Mikasa stirred at the sudden motion and lifted herself up off of him. Groggily, she opened her eyes and looked around with confusion.

"I don't know, Eren," he shrugged, "you two ran off sometime last night, we've been looking for you all morning, and now I've just found you," the young man could feel a smile tugging at his lips. He was going to squeeze every last drop out of this. His two best friends were never going to hear the end of it. "You tell me how you got here. I have no idea."

"Oh," Eren mumbled. His voice was heavy with sleep. "Oh," he repeated when he saw Mikasa lying next to him. His eyes lit up with realization, and Armin could only assume that he was remembering the details of whatever had happened last night.

"We woke up this morning and both of you were gone," Armin explained. "So naturally, we sent out a search party immediately. To be honest, we were all a little worried about you."

"Sorry Armin," Mikasa apologized. She pushed herself up off of the ground and brushed the sand from her dress. "I took a late night walk last night because I couldn't sleep, and I fully intended to come back, but then Eren came and we-"

"Spare the details," Armin interrupted. He held his hands out, trying to hide the knowing smile that was spreading across his face. "I don't even wanna know. I'm just glad I found you both fully clothed to be honest."

"Armin!"

He laughed, reaching a hand down to help his friend stand up. Both of them were blushing, and though he was amused, Armin couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret for making them feel so embarrassed.

Yet, he couldn't help but feel like something between them was different now.

**XX**

"So are you going to tell me what happened, or am I going to have to make assumptions?" Armin asked as the three of them walked along the shore on their way back to camp.

"I thought you didn't even wanna know," Eren shot back grumpily. For as long as Armin could remember, his best friend had never been a morning person.

"I changed my mind," Armin answered. "I was really just teasing you to be honest."

From the way Eren's hand shot up to scratch the back of his neck and the way his gaze fell downward, Armin could tell he was withholding something.

"_Why do you have to make this so difficult, Eren?" _He thought to himself. _"It really doesn't have to be…maybe I just need to be more direct with my questions." _

He glanced back at his two friends, who were now walking side by side a few steps behind him. Evidently, they weren't in any hurry to get back. Or they were just avoiding answering his question.

"Listen," he tried again. He stopped walking and turned around to face them, "have you two confessed your feelings for each other or not? Because if you haven't,_ I'm_ going to confess your feelings for each other right here and now."

If he wasn't so frustrated, he might have laughed at their faces. They both looked so startled. Mikasa's face was tinted almost the exact same shade of red as the scarf she was now pulling up over her face, and Eren's was now buried in his hands. For a moment, no one said a word.

"Well Armin," Mikasa muttered quietly, "I guess you should be the first to know anyway."

"We're…umm…we're getting married." Eren stumbled, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck again.

"Hmm," Armin hummed happily, "I'm glad to hear it." He trudged over to give his two best friends a pat on the back before pulling them into a group hug. "Congratulations guys. I'm so happy for you! And I'm thrilled that you've finally realized how you feel about each other," he continued. "I mean, I've just been waiting _years _for you two to finally just-"

"Armin," Eren interrupted. The young blonde man smirked at the embarrassment shimmering in his friend's blue-green eyes.

"Okay, okay," he laughed, "I'll stop teasing now. I promise. But honestly there's no reason to be so embarrassed."

"Well you're the one who made it so embarrassing, Armin," Eren snapped.

"It's still so new," Mikasa added quietly, "and to be honestly, I don't really want everyone to make a big deal out of it."

"Mikasa," Armin laughed, "you're gonna have to tell everyone eventually, and you _know_ they're gonna make a big deal out it!" He shook his head. The three turned a corner, and their camp came into view. "I say you just get it out there now and get it over with."

It appeared that their friends had caught sight of them as they were frantically pointing and running toward them.

"Look! It's Eren and Mikasa!"

"Thank God! They're okay!"

"Armin found them!"

"Oh god," Eren muttered under his breath. "I think I'd rather take on the titans right now."

"Eren," Armin whispered, shoving his shoulder. "Just explain everything now and get it over with."

The three of them were now face to face with the rest of their former squad. Jean, Sasha, Connie, Historia, and Levi were all in front of them and panting slightly from the run over to them.

"Where have you been?!" Sasha asked frantically. "We've been looking for you guys all morning!"

"Yes, Eren," Levi prompted. He pushed his way in front of the others and folded his arms across his chest. "Do tell us where you and Miss Ackerman have been."

"Well…" he began hesitantly.

Armin sighed and rolled his eyes. Eren and Mikasa had been hiding behind him since they had reached their beach. Forcefully, he shoved the two of them in front of him and gave them both an encouraging pat on the back.

Eren took in a deep breath. "I woke up last night and realized Mikasa was gone, so I went on a little midnight walk to find her, and we ended up talking and…stuff."

"_Stuff_?" Jean scowled.

"Wait! No…we just-"

"I swear to God, Jaeger," Levi interrupted, "if you get her pregnant on this trip I will make it a personal goal of mine to rip off your-"

"No! Wait!" he shouted. Armin watched in amusement as Eren threw his hands up in defense. It shouldn't have been funny to watch his best friend struggle like this, but somehow, it was. Surely, Eren would look back on this and laugh in a few years anyway.

"What I am trying to say," he breathed out shakily, "is that Mikasa and I have decided to get married."

Immediately, the small group, apart from Jean and Levi, broke out into cheers.

"Yay!"Sasha threw her arms around Mikasa's neck.

"Congratulations guys! I'm so happy for you!" Historia smiled.

"So…" Connie began, "she is pregnant then?"

"No!"

Armin smiled as he quietly backed away from the lively group. It felt amazing to see everyone so happy and carefree, but now that his job was done, he just wanted to slip away from the excitement and catch that gorgeous sunrise.

He pulled off his boots before plopping down on the soft white sand and gazing out across the water.

This was all so crazy. A few months ago, this had all just seemed like a glimmer in the distance. Like the rising sunlight shimmering on the horizon, it seemed so out of reach. Yet, now here they were. Standing alongside the ocean and filled with happiness and love. It certainly was a nice change.

He closed his eyes, listening to the sounds of his friends chatting excitingly about wedding plans. Something that seemed so trivial compared to everything they've been through. Considering what they had to do to make it this far, considering what they had seen, Armin wasn't even quite sure if they deserved this kind of happiness. Yet, he was more than willing to push those thoughts away if it meant living like this for the rest of his life.

"No! No one is pregnant Connie!" Someone, probably Eren, yelled in the distance.

"_Yeah_," Armin smiled, _"I could get used to this."_

**XX**

_Sorry if this one's really cheesy. There is literally no way to do this prompt without it being a little bit cheesy. Though it seems like the overly fluffy/happy stories seem to be you guys' favorites. _

_Thank you all for reading and for your feedback! _

_-Eremika _


	9. Something Broken

___Something Broken_

**_A/N- Someone (whom I cannot remember…it was a long time ago) requested drunk Eremika. I'm kind of assuming they wanted something funny and fluffy, but this is what came out of my dark mind. Sorry. For those of you who also made requests, I still have that list and I am working on it. :) It just may take me a little while. Anyway, have some angsty/fluffy drunk Eren Eremika set in the canon universe. _**

**XX**

The hallway was eerily quiet.

A few nights ago, the very same hall had been roaring with life. She breathed out and closed her eyes as images of doors thrown open and smiling faces flashed through her memory. The sound of laughter and vibrant chatter echoed in her mind as she pictured the lively, candlelit scene from two nights ago.

But when she opened her eyes, all of those images faded, and the dull, empty hallway came back into focus. Tonight, it was anything but lively.

After all, at least a third of the soldiers previously living on this hall were dead, and those alive remained stunned and petrified behind the privacy of their closed doors. To say the least, the previous day's mission had been a crushing failure.

Now, the only thing she could hear were the floorboards moaning underneath her feet as she walked. She breathed out a sigh of relief as she neared the end of the hallway and her final destination.

She stopped in front of the old wooden door, the flickering light from her candle illuminating the familiar room number.

Slowly, she lifted her arm and knocked lightly on the door.

"Eren?" She called out softly, fingers curling around the doorknob. It was unlocked.

Cautiously, she pushed open the door and peered inside. "Eren, I know you're in there," she spoke again. She spotted him sitting motionless on the other side of his bed. His back was facing her, but she could tell from the sloppy dirt stains on his white t-shirt and the messy tuffs of brown hair sticking in every direction that he was not handling this as well as he normally did.

"Hey, I just want to talk, okay?" She spoke softly, slipping in through the cracked door and pushing it closed behind her.

"What happened wasn't your fault you know," she began, making her way around the bed to sit down next to him. "There was nothing you could've-"

Her eyes caught the glimmer of the candlelight dancing off glass as she rounded the corner of his bed. Her gaze fell to his lap and the half empty bottle of dark liquid that swirled around in it.

"Eren, what are you doing?" A sudden rush of alarm shot through her. Where did he get that? How much had he already drank?

"Relax, Mikasa," he replied, bringing the bottle up to his lips and taking a few big gulps. "I'm just having a drink, okay?" Her eyes widened as she watched him wipe the droplets of stray alcohol on his sleeve.

"Eren, stop!" She reached out to grab the bottle from him, but he quickly pulled it out of her reach. "Where did you even get that?"

"I borrowed it," he shrugged, raising the bottle to his mouth once more.

"You stole it?! Eren, if you get caught stealing from the higher ups, you'll-"

"Do the math, Mikasa," he interrupted, "there's a 50% chance this belongs to a dead man."

At that she froze.

When their eyes met for the first time that night, she understood that he was right. She felt his hopelessness prickling hot beneath her own skin as she studied the heavy bags beneath his normally breathtaking blue-green eyes. Tonight, however, they didn't hold the flame they normally did. They were tinted red, and Mikasa couldn't decide if it was from crying, drinking, or lack of sleep. Most likely a combination of the three.

"Eren, stop," she pleaded, reaching out for the bottle once more.

"Nope," he shot back taking another swig. "You're not my mother."

_His mother_. Her death was what drove him. His motivation and determination to move forward was what made him bounce back so quickly from catastrophic missions like these. It wasn't that it didn't hurt him, he just never let it stop him. For him to be this broken…this unmotivated…was _so _unlike him. She couldn't help but wonder what the breaking point had been. What made this mission different from all the others? But that didn't matter now. All that mattered now was that her childhood friend, who had always been so strong and driven, was falling apart in front of her. It nearly killed her to watch.

"Eren!" She shouted as he began to gulp down more.

Quickly and instinctively, she reached out and swatted the bottle out of his hands. As she watched it shoot through the air, she immediately regretted the decision. She scrunched her eyes shut, awaiting the inevitable sound of breaking glass.

And it was loud. Not as loud as she had anticipated, but it surely woke up anyone who had been sleeping in the surrounding rooms, and if it hadn't, the string of curses that followed surely did.

"Son of a _bitch_! Mikasa what the hell are you doing?! You almost smacked me in the face, god damn it!" He shouted as he stumbled to his feet. "Shit, are you _trying _to wake up the whole damn hall?!"

"Eren, calm down," she stood up after him. She eyed the brown liquid slowly spreading across the floor and the shards of broken glass that Eren was stepping dangerously close to. "You're drunk. You need to just-"

"This shattered into a thousand pieces!" He interrupted her to continue shouting. "You realize we have to clean this up, right?"

Her eyes fell back to the broken bottle. He was right. It was destroyed beyond repair. In this case, they could simply sweep up the pieces dispose of it, but some broken things were worth too much to simply be thrown away. Unfortunately, anything valuable that shattered would be as equally impossible to fix. After all, something broken, even if fixable, could never be the same.

"Eren please," she tugged on his arm, pulling him away from the mess. "You need to just calm down and listen to me!"

"No," he muttered coolly. She cringed when he tugged his arm out of her grip. "I can handle this on my own! I'm gonna go get a towel and steal Levi's broom."

"Eren, wait!"

But he only made it a few steps before he began to lose his balance. She watched helplessly as he stumbled forward toward the shattered glass, hands reaching up to grab his most likely throbbing head. One…two…three steps and he was beginning to regain balance, but it was too late. She cringed at the shrill scream that left his lips when his foot made contact with jagged shards.

She leaped forward to catch him as he stumbled backward into her waiting arms.

"Shit!" He cried, wiggling out of her grasp.

"Eren! Are you okay?"

Quickly and unsteadily, he reached down and yanked the piece of glass out of his foot. Even while drunk, he made it look easy, but the cringe of his face and glimmer of pain in his eyes told her that he was too stubborn to show how much it actually hurt.

For a moment, he swayed unevenly, and she thought he was going to fall once more. Quickly, she reached out and grabbed his shoulders to steady him, looking him directly in the eye.

"Eren," she spoke softly. She could hear her own voice quivering with concern.

"Shit, Mikasa," he finally whispered, "I'm dizzy."

She sighed, somewhat relieved that he finally let his true condition be known. "Let's get you cleaned up, alright?"

Gently, she led him back over to his bed and sat him down, propping the wounded foot up on the edge of the mattress so she could see the cut.

By the looks of it, the wound was deeper than she had anticipated. Thick droplets of dark blood trailed down from the injured arch of his foot and dripped steadily off of his heel, splattering onto the wooden floor below.

"How bad is it?" He gasped, letting out the breath he'd been holding back.

"Bad enough," she sighed, tearing her gaze away from the cut. "You're a titan though. It'll heal fast."

She caught his grimace as she turned and walked toward his dresser. All rooms in the barracks were required to contain a medical kit in the top drawer.

Then, he whispered something so quietly she almost missed it.

"Doesn't mean it can't hurt,"

She froze, hand hovering over the small, white box. She let the meaning of his words sink in.

"Eren," she spoke softly after a moment. She scooped up the medical kit and returned to his side. "Do you want to talk about it?"

She pulled out the clean white paper towels and waited for him to speak. Gently, she wiped the dripping blood off of his heel before pressing it down over the wound.

She cringed when he instinctively pulled his foot away from her momentarily before relaxing again.

"You know," he spoke after a moment, voice just above a whisper, "it's always hard. After these missions I mean…but," he hesitated for a moment, "I always try to move forward because I know I can do it, Mikasa! I want to end this so badly that I'm willing to forget about those bloody battles and move forward but this time…" he drifted off into a brief silence.

"Eren," she pulled the blood-soaked towel away from the wound. "I'm going to put some disinfectant on this, okay? It's gonna sting a little…"

"That's good, though," he answered. Her eyes shot up in surprise. Did he know what he was saying?

"Physical pain," he continued, "is so much easier to handle than the hell burning in my mind right now."

She could feel her hands shaking as she poured the clear liquid onto a fresh towel, and without warning, she pressed the damp cloth against the wound.

"Gah!" He gasped immediately. She grimaced at the way his eyes scrunched shut and his eyebrows crinkled. The white sheets beneath him were now clenched firmly in his tan, calloused hands.

"You know," he groaned after the initial pain had subsided. "They said that this would numb the pain. That the alcohol would make me forget but," he swallowed painfully, "I can still feel it, Mikasa. It hurts so damn bad."

"Eren," she felt tears prickling at the corner of her eyes.

He wasn't like this. He wasn't supposed to be like this. He was the strongest, bravest person she had ever met. How could he be falling apart like this now?

"I just…" he continued, tears building up in those gorgeous eyes of his. "I just don't know what I would do without you, you know?"

Her head shot upward in surprise. It wasn't what she had been expecting to hear. Cautiously, she reached for the white bandage wrap and began wrapping it around his foot.

"It really hit me hard this last mission," he confessed. "I think that's why I'm such a mess right now."

"What do you-"

"I care about you so much," he interrupted, the tears finally spilling over and trailing down his cheeks. "If anything ever happened to you, I don't know what I'd do. You've just always been there, you know?" He whimpered. "But you're not invincible and neither am I, and I just…I just don't think all this would be worth it without you standing by my side at the end."

"E-Eren," she stuttered. She could feel the heat rushing to her cheeks and quickly convinced herself that it was the alcohol speaking.

"God, Mikasa," he shook his head, clearly fighting back his own emotions, "I'm so pathetic. I can't even clean up some broken glass without your help. How could I ever protect you if you needed me to?"

"Hey, that's not true," she reached up to squeeze his hand. "You're the strongest, bravest, most determined person I know. You wouldn't let anything bad happen to me. I'm sure of it." She smiled through her own tears. "I trust you with my life, Eren."

He let out a choked sob before pulling her up into his arms. Instinctively, she wrapped her own arms around him and buried her head into the warmth of his neck. And for a moment, she just let him hold her as they cried.

"Stay with me," he whispered desperately, lips grazing against her ear.

"Eren," She pulled away. She rested her forehead against his own and let out a shaky breath. "You're drunk."

She felt her heart sink at her own words. He was drunk. Which meant in the morning, things would go back to normal. He wouldn't hold her and tell her how much he cared about then. Really, it was best for both of them if she left now.

"No," he pulled her back against his chest, "please stay with me. Sure, I'm a little drunk, but I know what I'm saying and I know what I'm doing." He pleaded. "I need you, MIkasa, and I care about you. I know I'm no good at telling you or showing you, but what I'm telling you now is true." He whispered, pressing his lips against the top of her head.

"Please, Mikasa," he whispered, "I'll tell you how much I need you and care about you for the rest of my life if that's what it takes. Please…"

She sighed, leaning into his warmth. She could feel her uncertainty slipping away. "Okay, Eren," she spoke softly. For now, she'd believe him.

His lips curved upward into a sad smile as she leaned over to blow out the candle.

"I'll stay,"


End file.
